Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Casper Proposed Resource Management Plan (PRMP) and associated Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Wyoming; and Notice of Supplemental Information on Proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Provided in the Casper Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Associated Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Wyoming, 31848-31850 [E7-10886]
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<![CDATA[
31848
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 110 / Friday, June 8, 2007 / Notices
The applicant requests a permit to
import the sport-hunted trophy of one
male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus
pygargus) culled from a captive herd
maintained under the management
program of the Republic of South Africa,
for the purpose of enhancement of the
survival of the species.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
Marine Mammals
The public is invited to comment on
the following applications for a permit
to conduct certain activities with marine
mammals. The applications were
submitted to satisfy requirements of the
Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972,
as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.), and
the regulations governing marine
mammals (50 CFR part 18). Written
data, comments, or requests for copies
of the complete applications or requests
for a public hearing on these
applications should be submitted to the
Director (address above). Anyone
requesting a hearing should give
specific reasons why a hearing would be
appropriate. The holding of such a
hearing is at the discretion of the
Director.
Applicant: Larry E. Ensign, Jamestown,
NY, PRT–151724.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Northern Beaufort
Sea polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: John H. MacPeak, Garland,
TX, PRT–151828.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Northern Beaufort
Sea polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: Mark E. Buchanan, San
Diego, CA, PRT–151877.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Northern Beaufort
Sea polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: Joey A. Dimucci, Palatine,
IL, PRT–151301.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Lancaster Sound
polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: James H. Bandy, Argyle,
TX, PRT–152720.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Lancaster Sound
polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: Sherwin N. Scott, Phoenix,
AZ, PRT–152740.
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The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Lancaster Sound
polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: Sherwin N. Scott, Phoenix,
AZ, PRT–152741.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Lancaster Sound
polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Applicant: James C. Wondzell,
Wisconsin Rapids, WI, PRT–152930.
The applicant requests a permit to
import a polar bear (Ursus maritimus)
sport hunted from the Northern Beaufort
Sea polar bear population in Canada for
personal, noncommercial use.
Dated: April 27, 2007.
Michael L. Carpenter,
Senior Permit Biologist, Branch of Permits,
Division of Management Authority.
[FR Doc. E7–11142 Filed 6–7–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY–060–07–1610–DQ]
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the
Casper Proposed Resource
Management Plan (PRMP) and
associated Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS), Wyoming; and
Notice of Supplemental Information on
Proposed Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACEC)
Provided in the Casper Draft Resource
Management Plan (RMP) and
Associated Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS), Wyoming
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and
Notice of Supplemental Information.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: (1) In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) with its cooperating
agencies has prepared a Proposed RMP
and Final EIS for the Casper Field
Office. The document is available for
public review. (2) Pursuant to FLPMA,
the BLM also announces the availability
of supplemental information regarding
proposed ACECs that were considered
in the Draft Resource Management Plan/
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(DRMP/DEIS), but only partially
described in the original NOA
PO 00000
Frm 00054
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
published in the Federal Register (Vol.
71, No. 140) on July 21, 2006. This
notice of supplemental information
fulfills an administrative procedural
requirement and presents no new
information that was not already made
available to the public during the
previous 90-day comment period on the
DRMP/DEIS.
DATES: 1. Protest Period for the Proposed
Casper RMP/FEIS: The BLM Planning
Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5–2) state any
person who participated in the planning
process, and has an interest which is or
may be adversely affected, may protest
BLM’s approval of an RMP. You must
file a protest within 30 days of the date
the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) publishes their NOA in the
Federal Register.
2. Comment Period for the Proposed
ACECs in the Casper DRMP/DEIS:
Consistent with 43 CFR 1610.7–2, a 60day public review of the ACEC
information and comment period will
start on the date that this notice appears
in the Federal Register. The 30-day
protest period (identified in Item 1
above) will not be extended or repeated,
unless new and significant ACECrelated information is identified and a
Supplemental PRMP/FEIS is issued.
Instructions for filing a protest or
commenting on the proposed ACECs are
provided in the ‘‘Dear Reader’’ letter in
the Casper PRMP/FEIS and in the
Supplementary Information section of
this notice.
ADDRESSES: Refer to the Supplementary
sec. below for addresses for filing a
protest or commenting on the proposed
ACECs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Linda Slone, RMP Project Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, 2987
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604;
telephone—(307) 261–7520; e-mail
CRMP_wymail@blm.gov with Casper
RMP in the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Casper Field Office is located in eastcentral Wyoming and includes
approximately 8.5 million acres of land
in most of Natrona County, and all of
Converse, Goshen, and Platte counties.
Public land in the southwestern corner
of Natrona County is administered by
the BLM Lander Field Office. Within the
Casper planning area, the BLM
administers approximately 1.4 million
acres of BLM-administered public land
surface and 4.7 million acres of Federal
mineral estate. The DRMP/DEIS made
available for public review on July 21,
2006, described and analyzed five
alternatives for the management of
public lands and resources administered
by the BLM Casper Field Office:
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 110 / Friday, June 8, 2007 / Notices
Alternative A (Continuation of Existing
Management Direction or the ‘‘No
Action’’ Alternative) continues to
balance the use and development of
resources; Alternative B emphasizes
conservation of physical, biological, and
heritage resources with constraints on
resource uses; Alternative C provides
physical, biological, and heritage
resource conservation similar to current
management while allowing for more
recreation experiences; Alternative D
emphasizes resource uses, e.g., energy
and mineral development, recreation,
and forest products; and Alternative E
(Preferred Alternative) conserves
physical, biological, and heritage
resources while emphasizing moderate
constraint). The major issues addressed
in the alternatives include: (1) Energy
and mineral resource exploration and
development; (2) vegetation and habitat
management; (3) landownership
adjustments, access and transportation;
and (4) special designations.
There are currently two ACECs,
Jackson Canyon ACEC and Salt Creek
Hazardous ACEC, totaling
approximately 249,350 acres of mixed
public surface and private or state land
ownership as established in the Platte
River RMP (1985). Five potential ACECs
were proposed in the Casper DRMP.
Supplemental ACEC information
presented in this notice is identified as
use limitations below. This information
was already presented in the DRMP/
DEIS but inadvertently omitted from the
NOA announcing release of the
document for a 90-day public comment
period.
• Alcova Fossil Area (7,073 acres;
mostly Federal surface): Values of
Concern—rare fossil tracks and
additional fossils from two geological
periods. Use Limitations—surfacedisturbing activities may be restricted if
impacts cannot be mitigated. Offhighway vehicle (OHV) use is limited to
designated roads and trails. The area is
closed to locatable mineral entry.
• Black-tailed Prairie Dog Complex
(22,937 acres; mostly non-Federal
surface): Values of Concern—protection
of habitat and other species dependent
on prairie dog colonies. Use
Limitations—the area is
administratively unavailable for oil and
gas geophysical exploration. Future
development on new oil and gas leases
is limited to one well per 160 acres. The
area is a right-of-way avoidance area.
• Cedar Ridge (21,742 acres; over 60
percent Federal surface): Values of
concern—historic cultural resources,
including traditional ceremonial sites in
use by the Shoshone, Arapaho, and
other tribes. Use Limitations within the
Traditional Cultural Property—surface-
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18:14 Jun 07, 2007
Jkt 211001
disturbing activities are prohibited. The
area is closed to locatable mineral entry
and disposal of mineral materials. Use
Limitation within the Periphery Area (3mile viewshed)—surface-disturbing
activities may be restricted unless
impacts can be mitigated. Mineral
material development is limited to five
acres or less with provisions for
expansion once rehabilitation of the
initial location has started.
• North Platte River—(85,393 acres;
mostly non-Federal surface): Values of
Concern—fisheries and wildlife habitats
and high recreational and scenic values.
Use Limitations—the area is
administratively unavailable to oil and
gas leasing and geophysical operations.
The area is closed to disposal of mineral
materials. The existing North Platte
River protective withdrawal on 3,226
acres is continued. Surface-disturbing
activities are prohibited, unless to
benefit the values of concern. Grazing
leases may be adjusted or terminated
and those grazing leases at the Trapper’s
Route landing sites are not renewed.
• South Bighorns/Red Wall (262,901
acres; over 55 percent Federal surface):
Values of Concern—crucial wildlife
habitat, cultural resources, intact native
vegetation communities and
outstanding scenery. Use Limitations—
the area is closed to locatable mineral
entry and disposal of mineral materials.
Oil and gas leasing and geophysical
operations are administratively
unavailable and the area is a right-ofway exclusion area. Non-mineral
surface-disturbing activities may be
restricted if impacts cannot be
mitigated.
In the DRMP/DEIS, Alternative E
proposes to maintain ACEC status for
Jackson Canyon; remove ACEC status
for Salt Creek Hazardous Area; and add
the following to be managed as ACECs
in the future: Alcova Fossil Area. The
following areas would be established as
Management Areas (MAs): Bates Hole,
Salt Creek, Sand Hills, South Bighorns/
Red Wall, and Wind River Basin. Public
involvement and collaboration included
a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Resource
Management Plan Revision published in
the Federal Register; four open houses
during public scoping; presentations to
interested organizations upon request;
distribution of information on the
Casper RMP Web site and periodic
newsletters; and a 90-day public review
and comment period on the DRMP/
DEIS, including four public meetings/
hearings. Cooperating agencies include
the EPA; National Park Service (NPS)—
Fort Laramie National Historic Site;
State of Wyoming; Converse, Natrona,
and Platte counties; and Converse,
Natrona, Lingle-Fort Laramie, North
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
31849
Platte Valley, and South Goshen
Conservation districts.
Comments on the DRMP/DEIS
received from the public and internal
BLM review comments were
incorporated into the proposed plan.
Public comments resulted in the
addition of clarifying text but did not
significantly change proposed land use
decisions. After careful consideration of
both public and internal comments
received on the DRMP/DEIS,
adjustments and clarifications have
been made to Alternative E, the
Preferred Alternative. As modified,
Alternative E is now presented as the
Proposed Casper RMP in the FEIS. The
Proposed Casper RMP would: (1)
Provide comprehensive, long-range
decisions for the use and management
of resources in the planning area
administered by the BLM; (2) focus on
the principles of multiple use and
sustained yield as prescribed by Section
202 of FLPMA; (3) maintain the Jackson
Canyon ACEC—(14,308 acres), and add
the Alcova Fossil Area ACEC (5,963
acres); and (4) provide prescriptions for
five separate management areas—Bates
Hole (375,221 acres), Salt Creek
(23,911acres), Sand Hills (17,633 acres),
South Bighorns/Red Wall (93,352 acres),
and Wind River Basin (54,575 acres).
Copies of the Casper PRMP/FEIS have
been sent to affected Federal, state, and
local government agencies and Tribal
governments and to interested parties.
Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available
for public inspection during normal
working hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
except weekends and holidays at the
BLM Casper Field Office, 2987
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604 and
the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY
82009. Interested persons may also
review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet
https://www.blm.gov/rmp/casper/.
1. Instructions for Filing a Protest
Instructions for filing a protest with
the Director of the BLM regarding the
PRMP/FEIS may be found at 43 CFR
1610.5–2. A protest may only raise those
issues submitted for the record during
the planning process. E-mail and faxed
protests will not be accepted as valid
protests unless the protesting party also
provides the original letter by either
regular or overnight mail postmarked by
the close of the protest period. Under
these conditions, the BLM will consider
the e-mail or faxed protest as an
advance copy and it will receive full
consideration. If you wish to provide
the BLM with such advance
notification, please direct faxed protests
to the attention of the BLM protest
coordinator at 202–452–5112, and e-
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31850
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 110 / Friday, June 8, 2007 / Notices
mails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov.
Please direct the follow-up letter to
the appropriate address provided below.
The protest must contain:
a. The name, mailing address,
telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
b. A statement of the part or parts of
the plan and the issue or issues being
protested.
c. A copy of all documents addressing
the issue(s) the protesting party
submitted during the planning process
or a statement of the date they were
discussed for the record.
d. A concise statement explaining
why the protestor believes the State
Director’s decision is wrong.
All protests must be in writing and
mailed to one of the following
addresses:
Regular Mail: Director (210),
Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box
66538, Washington, DC 20035.
Overnight Mail: Director (210),
Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington,
D.C. 20036.
The Director will promptly render a
decision on the protest. The decision
will be in writing and will be sent to the
protesting party by certified mail, return
receipt requested. The decision of the
Director is the final decision of the
Department of the Interior.
pwalker on PROD1PC71 with NOTICES
2. Instructions on Commenting on the
Proposed ACECs
BLM planning regulations at 43 CFR
1610.7–2 require the BLM to notify the
public of proposed ACECs in the
Federal Register releasing the DRMP/
DEIS. While the DRMP/DEIS including
the ACEC information has been
available for public review and
comment, the BLM is providing an
additional 60-day review period to
ensure the procedural requirements
contained in 43 CFR 1610.7–2 are met.
Specifically, these regulations require
the BLM to specify in a Federal Register
any resource use limitations, which
would occur if an ACEC is designated.
The BLM can best use your comments
on only the ACEC information
presented in the DRMP/DEIS and in this
Notice of Supplemental Information if
they are received on or before the end
of the 60-day comment period following
publication of this notice. If any
comments received identify new and
significant ACEC-related information
that has not currently been raised in the
planning process, then a Supplemental
Proposed Resource Management Plan/
Final Environmental Impact Statement
may have to be issued and the Record
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18:14 Jun 07, 2007
Jkt 211001
of Decision on this PRMP and FEIS
deferred.
Written comments on the ACECs as
proposed in the DRMP/DEIS may be
submitted as follows:
1. The Casper RMP Revision Web site
at https://www.blm.gov/rmp/casper/; the
web site allows commenters to submit
ACEC-related comments electronically
into the Special Designations topic
directly onto a comment form posted on
the web site.
2. Written comments may be mailed
or delivered to the BLM at: Casper RMP/
EIS, Bureau of Land Management—
Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector
Drive, Casper, WY 82604–2968.
3. Comments may be sent by facsimile
to (307) 261–7587.
The BLM will only accept comments
if they are submitted in the methods
described above. To be given
consideration by the BLM, comment
submittals must include the
commenter’s name and street address.
Whenever possible, please include
reference to either the page or section in
the DRMP/EIS to which the ACECrelated comment applies. To facilitate
analysis of comments and information
submitted, it is encouraged to submit
comments in an electronic format
through the Web site.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us to withhold your
personal identifying information from
public review, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.
Dated: April 2, 2007.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E7–10886 Filed 6–7–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
Notice of Availability of Sierra
Proposed Resource Management Plan
and Final Environmental Impact
Statement, California
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: In accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and
the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43
PO 00000
Frm 00056
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) has prepared a
Proposed Resource Management Plan
(RMP) and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Sierra planning
area managed by the Folsom Field
Office.
DATES: BLM Planning Regulations (43
CFR 1610.5–2) state that any person
who participated in the planning
process and has an interest which may
be adversely affected, may protest
BLM’s approval or amendment of an
RMP. Protests must be filed within 30
days of the date that the Environmental
Protection Agency publishes their
Notice of Availability in the Federal
Register. Instructions for filing protests
are described in the front cover of the
Sierra Proposed RMP and Final EIS and
in the Supplementary Information
section of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Sandra McGinnis, (916) 985–4474,
Bureau of Land Management, 63
Natoma Street, Folsom, CA 95630;
caformp@ca.blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
planning area for the Sierra RMP is the
Folsom Field Office’s area of
management responsibility. The
planning area encompasses portions of
15 California counties: Yuba, Sutter,
Colusa, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado,
Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, San
Joaquin, Tuolumne, Mariposa,
Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Merced. A
total of 230,000 acres of public lands
and 300,000 acres of subsurface mineral
estate are administered by BLM. The
decisions in the RMP will only apply to
BLM lands and mineral estate in the
planning area. The Sierra Proposed RMP
and Final EIS have been developed
through collaborative planning and
consider four alternatives. Primary
issues include: recreation, wild and
scenic river recommendations, sensitive
natural and cultural resources, livestock
grazing, wildland fire risk and fuel
reduction, energy and mineral
development, land ownership
adjustments, and motorized vehicle
route designations. The Proposed RMP
includes two wild and scenic river
suitability recommendations: South
Fork American River (8.8 miles—
recreational) and North Fork and Main
Mokelumne River (13.7 miles—wild,
scenic, recreational). The Proposed RMP
includes eight new Areas of Critical
Environmental Concern (ACECs): Pine
Hill Preserve (3,236 acres), Cosumnes
River Preserve (2,035 acres), Spivey
Pond (54 acres), Deadman’s Flat (796
acres), Dutch Flat/Indiana Hill proposed
Research Natural Area, which is a type
of ACEC (320 acres), Bagby Serpentine
E:\FR\FM\08JNN1.SGM
08JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 110 (Friday, June 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31848-31850]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10886]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[WY-060-07-1610-DQ]
Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Casper Proposed Resource
Management Plan (PRMP) and associated Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS), Wyoming; and Notice of Supplemental Information on
Proposed Areas of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) Provided in the
Casper Draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Associated Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Notice of Supplemental Information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: (1) In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
of 1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) with its cooperating agencies has prepared a
Proposed RMP and Final EIS for the Casper Field Office. The document is
available for public review. (2) Pursuant to FLPMA, the BLM also
announces the availability of supplemental information regarding
proposed ACECs that were considered in the Draft Resource Management
Plan/Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP/DEIS), but only
partially described in the original NOA published in the Federal
Register (Vol. 71, No. 140) on July 21, 2006. This notice of
supplemental information fulfills an administrative procedural
requirement and presents no new information that was not already made
available to the public during the previous 90-day comment period on
the DRMP/DEIS.
DATES: 1. Protest Period for the Proposed Casper RMP/FEIS: The BLM
Planning Regulations (43 CFR 1610.5-2) state any person who
participated in the planning process, and has an interest which is or
may be adversely affected, may protest BLM's approval of an RMP. You
must file a protest within 30 days of the date the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes their NOA in the Federal Register.
2. Comment Period for the Proposed ACECs in the Casper DRMP/DEIS:
Consistent with 43 CFR 1610.7-2, a 60-day public review of the ACEC
information and comment period will start on the date that this notice
appears in the Federal Register. The 30-day protest period (identified
in Item 1 above) will not be extended or repeated, unless new and
significant ACEC-related information is identified and a Supplemental
PRMP/FEIS is issued.
Instructions for filing a protest or commenting on the proposed
ACECs are provided in the ``Dear Reader'' letter in the Casper PRMP/
FEIS and in the Supplementary Information section of this notice.
ADDRESSES: Refer to the Supplementary sec. below for addresses for
filing a protest or commenting on the proposed ACECs.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda Slone, RMP Project Manager,
Bureau of Land Management, 2987 Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604;
telephone--(307) 261-7520; e-mail CRMP_wymail@blm.gov with Casper RMP
in the subject line.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Casper Field Office is located in east-
central Wyoming and includes approximately 8.5 million acres of land in
most of Natrona County, and all of Converse, Goshen, and Platte
counties. Public land in the southwestern corner of Natrona County is
administered by the BLM Lander Field Office. Within the Casper planning
area, the BLM administers approximately 1.4 million acres of BLM-
administered public land surface and 4.7 million acres of Federal
mineral estate. The DRMP/DEIS made available for public review on July
21, 2006, described and analyzed five alternatives for the management
of public lands and resources administered by the BLM Casper Field
Office:
[[Page 31849]]
Alternative A (Continuation of Existing Management Direction or the
``No Action'' Alternative) continues to balance the use and development
of resources; Alternative B emphasizes conservation of physical,
biological, and heritage resources with constraints on resource uses;
Alternative C provides physical, biological, and heritage resource
conservation similar to current management while allowing for more
recreation experiences; Alternative D emphasizes resource uses, e.g.,
energy and mineral development, recreation, and forest products; and
Alternative E (Preferred Alternative) conserves physical, biological,
and heritage resources while emphasizing moderate constraint). The
major issues addressed in the alternatives include: (1) Energy and
mineral resource exploration and development; (2) vegetation and
habitat management; (3) landownership adjustments, access and
transportation; and (4) special designations.
There are currently two ACECs, Jackson Canyon ACEC and Salt Creek
Hazardous ACEC, totaling approximately 249,350 acres of mixed public
surface and private or state land ownership as established in the
Platte River RMP (1985). Five potential ACECs were proposed in the
Casper DRMP. Supplemental ACEC information presented in this notice is
identified as use limitations below. This information was already
presented in the DRMP/DEIS but inadvertently omitted from the NOA
announcing release of the document for a 90-day public comment period.
Alcova Fossil Area (7,073 acres; mostly Federal surface):
Values of Concern--rare fossil tracks and additional fossils from two
geological periods. Use Limitations--surface-disturbing activities may
be restricted if impacts cannot be mitigated. Off-highway vehicle (OHV)
use is limited to designated roads and trails. The area is closed to
locatable mineral entry.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Complex (22,937 acres; mostly
non-Federal surface): Values of Concern--protection of habitat and
other species dependent on prairie dog colonies. Use Limitations--the
area is administratively unavailable for oil and gas geophysical
exploration. Future development on new oil and gas leases is limited to
one well per 160 acres. The area is a right-of-way avoidance area.
Cedar Ridge (21,742 acres; over 60 percent Federal
surface): Values of concern--historic cultural resources, including
traditional ceremonial sites in use by the Shoshone, Arapaho, and other
tribes. Use Limitations within the Traditional Cultural Property--
surface-disturbing activities are prohibited. The area is closed to
locatable mineral entry and disposal of mineral materials. Use
Limitation within the Periphery Area (3-mile viewshed)--surface-
disturbing activities may be restricted unless impacts can be
mitigated. Mineral material development is limited to five acres or
less with provisions for expansion once rehabilitation of the initial
location has started.
North Platte River--(85,393 acres; mostly non-Federal
surface): Values of Concern--fisheries and wildlife habitats and high
recreational and scenic values. Use Limitations--the area is
administratively unavailable to oil and gas leasing and geophysical
operations. The area is closed to disposal of mineral materials. The
existing North Platte River protective withdrawal on 3,226 acres is
continued. Surface-disturbing activities are prohibited, unless to
benefit the values of concern. Grazing leases may be adjusted or
terminated and those grazing leases at the Trapper's Route landing
sites are not renewed.
South Bighorns/Red Wall (262,901 acres; over 55 percent
Federal surface): Values of Concern--crucial wildlife habitat, cultural
resources, intact native vegetation communities and outstanding
scenery. Use Limitations--the area is closed to locatable mineral entry
and disposal of mineral materials. Oil and gas leasing and geophysical
operations are administratively unavailable and the area is a right-of-
way exclusion area. Non-mineral surface-disturbing activities may be
restricted if impacts cannot be mitigated.
In the DRMP/DEIS, Alternative E proposes to maintain ACEC status
for Jackson Canyon; remove ACEC status for Salt Creek Hazardous Area;
and add the following to be managed as ACECs in the future: Alcova
Fossil Area. The following areas would be established as Management
Areas (MAs): Bates Hole, Salt Creek, Sand Hills, South Bighorns/Red
Wall, and Wind River Basin. Public involvement and collaboration
included a Notice of Intent to Prepare a Resource Management Plan
Revision published in the Federal Register; four open houses during
public scoping; presentations to interested organizations upon request;
distribution of information on the Casper RMP Web site and periodic
newsletters; and a 90-day public review and comment period on the DRMP/
DEIS, including four public meetings/hearings. Cooperating agencies
include the EPA; National Park Service (NPS)--Fort Laramie National
Historic Site; State of Wyoming; Converse, Natrona, and Platte
counties; and Converse, Natrona, Lingle-Fort Laramie, North Platte
Valley, and South Goshen Conservation districts.
Comments on the DRMP/DEIS received from the public and internal BLM
review comments were incorporated into the proposed plan. Public
comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text but did not
significantly change proposed land use decisions. After careful
consideration of both public and internal comments received on the
DRMP/DEIS, adjustments and clarifications have been made to Alternative
E, the Preferred Alternative. As modified, Alternative E is now
presented as the Proposed Casper RMP in the FEIS. The Proposed Casper
RMP would: (1) Provide comprehensive, long-range decisions for the use
and management of resources in the planning area administered by the
BLM; (2) focus on the principles of multiple use and sustained yield as
prescribed by Section 202 of FLPMA; (3) maintain the Jackson Canyon
ACEC--(14,308 acres), and add the Alcova Fossil Area ACEC (5,963
acres); and (4) provide prescriptions for five separate management
areas--Bates Hole (375,221 acres), Salt Creek (23,911acres), Sand Hills
(17,633 acres), South Bighorns/Red Wall (93,352 acres), and Wind River
Basin (54,575 acres).
Copies of the Casper PRMP/FEIS have been sent to affected Federal,
state, and local government agencies and Tribal governments and to
interested parties. Copies of the PRMP/FEIS are available for public
inspection during normal working hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) except
weekends and holidays at the BLM Casper Field Office, 2987 Prospector
Drive, Casper, WY 82604 and the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353
Yellowstone Road, Cheyenne, WY 82009. Interested persons may also
review the PRMP/FEIS on the Internet https://www.blm.gov/rmp/casper/.
1. Instructions for Filing a Protest
Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM
regarding the PRMP/FEIS may be found at 43 CFR 1610.5-2. A protest may
only raise those issues submitted for the record during the planning
process. E-mail and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid
protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter
by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the
protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the e-
mail or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full
consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance
notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM
protest coordinator at 202-452-5112, and e-
[[Page 31850]]
mails to Brenda--Hudgens-Williams@blm.gov.
Please direct the follow-up letter to the appropriate address
provided below. The protest must contain:
a. The name, mailing address, telephone number, and interest of the
person filing the protest.
b. A statement of the part or parts of the plan and the issue or
issues being protested.
c. A copy of all documents addressing the issue(s) the protesting
party submitted during the planning process or a statement of the date
they were discussed for the record.
d. A concise statement explaining why the protestor believes the
State Director's decision is wrong.
All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following
addresses:
Regular Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box
66538, Washington, DC 20035.
Overnight Mail: Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L
Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, D.C. 20036.
The Director will promptly render a decision on the protest. The
decision will be in writing and will be sent to the protesting party by
certified mail, return receipt requested. The decision of the Director
is the final decision of the Department of the Interior.
2. Instructions on Commenting on the Proposed ACECs
BLM planning regulations at 43 CFR 1610.7-2 require the BLM to
notify the public of proposed ACECs in the Federal Register releasing
the DRMP/DEIS. While the DRMP/DEIS including the ACEC information has
been available for public review and comment, the BLM is providing an
additional 60-day review period to ensure the procedural requirements
contained in 43 CFR 1610.7-2 are met. Specifically, these regulations
require the BLM to specify in a Federal Register any resource use
limitations, which would occur if an ACEC is designated. The BLM can
best use your comments on only the ACEC information presented in the
DRMP/DEIS and in this Notice of Supplemental Information if they are
received on or before the end of the 60-day comment period following
publication of this notice. If any comments received identify new and
significant ACEC-related information that has not currently been raised
in the planning process, then a Supplemental Proposed Resource
Management Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement may have to be
issued and the Record of Decision on this PRMP and FEIS deferred.
Written comments on the ACECs as proposed in the DRMP/DEIS may be
submitted as follows:
1. The Casper RMP Revision Web site at https://www.blm.gov/rmp/
casper/; the web site allows commenters to submit ACEC-related comments
electronically into the Special Designations topic directly onto a
comment form posted on the web site.
2. Written comments may be mailed or delivered to the BLM at:
Casper RMP/EIS, Bureau of Land Management--Casper Field Office, 2987
Prospector Drive, Casper, WY 82604-2968.
3. Comments may be sent by facsimile to (307) 261-7587.
The BLM will only accept comments if they are submitted in the
methods described above. To be given consideration by the BLM, comment
submittals must include the commenter's name and street address.
Whenever possible, please include reference to either the page or
section in the DRMP/EIS to which the ACEC-related comment applies. To
facilitate analysis of comments and information submitted, it is
encouraged to submit comments in an electronic format through the Web
site.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us to withhold your personal identifying information from public
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Dated: April 2, 2007.
Robert A. Bennett,
State Director.
[FR Doc. E7-10886 Filed 6-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
